Shirley

SHIRLEY — When Meg Francis was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, she said she “received the news calmly and fearlessly” because she was coming off an incredible summer family experience at the Grand Canyon — but her journey has not been without struggle.

The Framingham native and mom of two lovely daughters – Olivia, 24, and Sydney,17 – learned she had breast cancer in September of 2021 while in her last semester of college, after having just accepted a full-time job, and while taking care of her mother, who ended up dying from cancer six months after she was diagnosed.

“In my book, I share the story of that cross-country trip with my girls that brought me to a deep level of surrender just in time for the most challenging times of my life,” Francis said of that life changing outing and the inspirational poetry book she wrote in the midst of heartache and grief and in the aftermath of battling cancer, “Learning to Float.”

Francis is hosting a book signing and storytelling fundraiser at the Bull Run in Shirley on Sept. 17. The event will feature live music by local musicians Mike Kelly, Risa Lavelle, and Jim Weeks, a buffet dinner, cash bar, goodie bags, and her book and other merchandise for sale with all proceeds going directly to Cancer Support Community (CSC).

The author, who is now in remission, was introduced to CSC after having a lumpectomy followed by 12 weeks of chemotherapy and four weeks of radiation treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

“They offer free support groups, of which I joined two,” Francis said of CSC, which helps connect cancer patients with a variety of resources. “I needed those groups because one thing I realized quickly was that cancer changed the way I think about life. And not just life, but aches and pains. After cancer, every time I have physical pain, I wonder ‘could this be cancer? I don’t know if you can truly understand that unless you have had cancer. It’s nice to have a community that gets it.”

She grew up in Framingham, where she lives and works, and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“I didn’t graduate in a timely fashion, but I graduated in 2021 when my oldest daughter graduated from college and my youngest daughter was 16 years old,” Francis said.

She started her career as an addictions counselor by volunteering at The Recovery Connection in Marlborough in 2011. Francis owned a yoga studio up the street where she taught yoga and meditation and was drawn to helping others.

“Ever since then, I have been working in the field of addictions in one capacity or another,” she said. “I love teaching. I love to see people’s faces when they get it. Teaching is what I went to college for originally [but] I wound up graduating with a degree in Mental Health Studies. Motivational speaking is how I combine the two.”

Francis said she doesn’t remember much about her own cancer treatment “other than I had the best support team a girl could ask for.” She was in a thick haze of school and work and parenting and caring for her mother, Mary Perry.

“I had so much on my plate that all I could do was focus on what was in front of me,” she said. “If I was doing schoolwork, I was doing schoolwork. If I was with my mom, I was focused on my mom. If I was at work, I was focused on work. If I stopped to think about it all, I would have crumbled. But my support team wouldn’t let me.”

The book jacket was designed by Lunenburg artist, photographer, and illustrator Emily Joy Ashman of Tri Town Productions, who also beautifully captured Francis and her mother in a series of moving and emotional black and white images two months before Mary passed away.

After deciding to donate a portion of the proceeds of her book to CSC, Francis went with a specific percentage, 12.27%, in honor of her mother whose birthday was Dec. 27. All of the proceeds from sales of the book and merch at the Bull Run event will go to CSC and then the percentage will go back to the special number.

When asked what her overall motivational message in her book and life is, Francis recalled a note that one of her daughters wrote to her in a birthday card – “Thank you mom for always teaching me to prioritize joy.”

“I had no idea that I had been doing that, but I realized that is what got me through,” Francis said. “That is my message. Prioritize joy. And that can mean a lot of different things for people. But you need to find your joy.”

She said she is grateful to everyone who is supporting her and her efforts. One of the realizations she has come to through her own tumultuous experiences over the last two years is that each person has their own struggles to deal with — what matters most is how you face them and who you are fortunate to have in your corner.

“I used to be the type of person who would say, ‘I got this. I don’t need help,’” Francis said. “Cancer humbled me and helped me see the importance of asking for help and allowing loved ones to love me. We all need that.”

For tickets to the September fundraiser and more information visit megfrancis.com/events.

SHIRLEY – There’s a new business in town.

New, that is, to its current location on Ayer Road in Shirley after moving this spring from the Devens Plaza on Ayer’s West Main Street to its current location at 22 Ayer Road, next to Moore Lumber and Hardware.

Pit Stop Barber Shop owner Juan Ferguson, one of three licensed barbers working in the shop, said he’s been the sole proprietor of this thriving small business since 2009, when he set up shop at the Ayer rotary.

Previously, he worked as a barber at the former Ayer Family Hair Care in Devens Plaza. When the owners retired and that business folded, Ferguson relocated, moving into to the vacated space and returning, in a way, to his roots.

The race-track moniker he’d given his establishment jibed with the existing motif, he said – black and white checkered floor and all. The theme behind the logo, however, is more practical than prosaic. “Fast in, fast out…” for customers with limited time to get a haircut, shave, or any of several services the Pit Stop offers. For those without a set time limit, Ferguson and his employees – Lenny and David – take as much time as needed to get the job done right. It’s all about what the customer wants, he said.

The Pit Stop may specialize in no-frills, military-style “buzz” cuts but it is not a one-size fits all set up. Nor is its clientele exclusively male. His barber shop caters to all genders, ages and hair-cutting preferences, Ferguson said, although he acknowledged having more male than female customers. Maybe, in part, because it was a popular stop for soldiers, police officers and others whose preferences tended to military-style haircuts when he started out nearly 15 years ago. Some were former customers of the Army barber shop he’d worked at on Ft. Devens, operated by the Department of Defense.

Now an Ayer resident, the former Army base was Ferguson’s home town. “I grew up on Devens,” he said. He dad, Roman, was stationed there until he retired. He later followed in his father’s footsteps, Ferguson said, serving in the Army for five years.

His first job as a licensed barber was working for the Department of Defense, in the base barber shop on Ft. Devens. During peacetime – “before 9/11” – it was open to the public, he said. That changed after the deadly terrorist attack on the United States in 2001.

“The fences went up,” Ferguson said, restricting entry to the base. “It became a wartime hassle” for civilian customers, he said.

In 2005, after working in Fitchburg for a few years, he took a job at Family Hair Care in Ayer, before striking out on his own three years later.

Comfortably settled in Ayer for more than a decade, with a busy schedule and loyal customers, why move again now? Ferguson cited “uncertainty” about the future of the area in terms of existing storefronts in Devens Plaza, with a major makeover in progress on West Main Street.

Plus, Ayer has a couple of other barber shops, but in Shirley, his is the only one in town.

“When this place opened up, I jumped on it,” Ferguson said, adding that he liked the idea of adding to Shirley’s small business community. The new space – next door to Moore Lumber and Hardware (formerly Lambert’s True Value Hardware) at 22 Ayer Road – was an ideal fit, he said, albeit a bit smaller than the old one was. It previously housed a hair salon, Country Cuts, for many years.

The décor is a bit different now, tailored to a barber shop, with themed chair-covers and sports photos on the wall. No race cars, though. Ferguson is a big boxing fan, he said. As for the old checkerboard floor – that’s just a memory. The neat, smooth, faux-wood floor here is easier to sweep, he said.

Asked how he chose his profession, Ferguson said he’d started cutting his own hair at age 12. “My dad used to do it,” he said. Sometimes, though, his father was “out in the field” so he picked up the scissors himself. “I realized it wasn’t that bad…” he said. Later, as his skills grew, he cut his brothers’ hair, too.

He went on to “experiment” with his friends’ hair, Ferguson continued. He’d found his niche, his career.

He went to barber college, Rob Roy Academy in Worcester and earned his barber’s license. He still loves the work, Ferguson said. No hair type – or haircut – daunts him. “If it grows, I can cut it,” he said.

He also loves meeting people. He likes a challenge, too, performing his tonsorial magic with kids who may be tough customers, for example. “They get a lollipop… but they’ve got to sit still!” he joked.

Apparently, the Pit Stop technique works. A Shirley resident posted on Facebook that her toddler son got his first-ever haircut there and was “delighted” with it.

The PitStop Barber Shop is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, Saturdays, 7 a.m. to noon. It’s closed Sunday. And the price tags to “get buzzed!” are reasonable.

A basic hair cut is $18. For seniors, it’s $8, and $13 for active military. The price for kids is $16.

A cut and beard costs $25, add $10 “with blade.” Fades are priced at $22, while a bald ‘do costs $20. Flat tops: $25; Line ups $10, beard only $10. Design prices vary.

The number to call is 978-796-5679, but there are no appointments. Walk-ins only, Ferguson said.

Shirley native Luke Snyder and his band Invisible Animals rocked out for the first time in his hometown on July 15. The tight-knit foursome played several sets in the spacious outdoor area of The Brookside Grille, a mix of originals and eclectic covers such as “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd, “Creep” by Radiohead, and “My Own Worst Enemy” by Lit. Next up for the band are a bunch of gigs including on Aug. 12 and Sept. 9 at The Jungle in Somerville, back to The Brookside Grille on Sept. 30, The Midway Cafe in Boston on Oct. 7, and Oct. 28 at The Phoenix Bar and Grill in Shirley. For more information and to book them visit linktr.ee/invisibleanimals and follow Invisible Animals on Instagram.